Welcome to The Morning After, where I share with you what movies I’ve seen over the past week. Below, you will find short reviews of those movies along with a star rating. Full length reviews may come at a later date.

So, here is what I watched this past week:

2022 Oscar-Nominated Shorts

Every year, Shorts.tv presents the 15 short films nominated for Academy Awards and each year, there’s a strange array of productions that range from comedy to tragedy and everywhere in between. Having given all fifteen a chance, the difference between the best and second best has never been more stark. The political commentary of the documentary and live action programs is clear, but generally less forceful than it has been in the past.

Among animated shorts, the most interesting is Bestia, which is a horrifying look at totalitarianism from the perspective of those who carry out the orders. It’s certainly not a program that seems like the Academy would love, but it’s quite compelling. For the live action shorts, Ala Kachuu is a poignant exploration of the notion of forced marriage, kidnapping, and an outdated moral code and stands in stark contrast to its compatriots for the courage and forcefulness with which it’s told. Among documentary shorts, Audible is the most fascinating as it explores the challenges that face a group of high school students at a deaf school in Maryland whose lives on and off the football field feel familiar, yet unique with their added struggles for acceptance.

Like all prior years, there are a handful of shorts that don’t feel like finished products and ultimately don’t feel like they deserve nominations. This includes the likes of Three Songs for Benazir, Boxballet, and The Dress.